“What temperature does a child need to go to the hospital?”

It isn't so much the height of the fever but how your son behaves when you give him some tylenol or motrin and or a tepid bath and get the temp. down that is important. Children run higher fevers than adults do so a high fever for an adult is not necessarily so high for a child. I generally tell parents that if the child's fever is close to or at or above 105 - it is time for the ER no matter how the child is behaving.

There is no specific temperature. If the fever stays for a long period and will not go down with Tylenol or Motrin, or if there is a febrile seizure then they should be evaluated. But fever is the way the body fights infection and fever isn’t necessarily bad, but if it stays for long periods, won’t go down with Tylenol or Motrin, is there for 5 days or more, or is causing a complication such a febrile seizure, then the child should be evaluated.

It is usually not how high fever is but how the child is acting. If there is no vomiting or change in their behavior some children tolerate 105 degrees. Other children can look sick and be lethargic with fever or 101. Fever than is below normal can also be a sign of infection.